Clever Mischief, Chapter 18: Face Off Date: Saturday, September 24, 2005Location: Fred and George's Room, the Three Broomsticks Character: Fred and George Rating: Any Age

Fred Weasley reclined on his lumpy, smelly bed, flipping through an old potions textbook. He had an idea for creating a banana pastie that would caused the unwary eater to grow a monkey tail, but he wasn't sure just how to accomplish it. He needed George's help. George had always been better at Potions than Fred. Fred had always been better at execution and flourish than actual research and design.

But he hadn't seen George for hours, not since his twin had stormed out of the shop. After Fred had kissed Hermione. God. He'd kissed her. And she'd kissed him back. It was almost too much to process. Even though she'd run out afterward, she had kissed him. She'd wanted it just as much as he had, and he felt like he was floating a foot off the bed right now, despite George's odd behaviour. He could still feel her hair between his fingers and her breath on his lips. It was extraordinary. He had no other words.

He was just about to put the book away and head into the pub for dinner when the door flew open and George appeared, his eyes strangely focused and heated.

"'Bout time you showed up," Fred said, jumping to his feet. "You look like you've been chased here by a flock of harpies."

"We have to talk," George said through gritted teeth.

"Sure. What did you want to talk about? The weather? The stock market? The-"

"Now isn't the bloody time for that, Fred!"

Fred's eyes widened at the sharpness of his twin's tone. He couldn't remember George ever speaking to him that way before. "What's wrong?"

"Hermione."

The name hung in the air between them, and Fred struggled to understand just what George was getting at. "What about her?"

Fred was at his brother's side in a heartbeat, a hand resting on George's shoulder. Something was seriously wrong here. "I thought you were all right with her and me? You've ribbed me enough about my silly crush, haven't you?"

This close, Fred could see how pale George's skin was, his freckles standing out harshly, smudged bags beneath his eyes. George said. "I was."

"But you aren't anymore?"

"No."

Fred's anger flared. "I don't get it."

"I don't know how to say it any differently."

"What, you don't like her? I thought you two were friends!"

George swayed a little and reached out to steady himself against the wall. "We were. Are. Were. I don't know!"

"You're not making any sense! What happened?" Fred ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm down. "You were fine right up until this morning at the shop. Did she do something to offend you?"

"Yes," George said, hissing a little on the sibilant as if the word or the memory had burned him.

Fred's exasperation soared. "What? Spit it out, George!"

"She kissed you," George growled, fingers curling into a fist.

Fred blinked. "She... well, yeah. She can't kiss me? I'm not allowed to be happy for once in my life?"

George swore colourfully. "Oh, life with me's been so rough, has it?"

"Of course not! But you can't be jealous that I've finally found someone! It's insane!"

"I can be jealous when she fucking well kissed me too!" George bellowed.

The words seemed to echo through the room. The twins stared at each other, identical expressions of shock on their faces. Fred found his voice first, trying to speak over the ringing in his ears.

"She what?"

"Kissed. Me. Too."

"No," Fred said, frowning. "No, she kissed me today, she-"

"She kissed me on her birthday, you idiot," George said, covering his face with his hands. "I gave her that stupid stuffed cat and she just leaned over and kissed me."

"On the cheek?"

"On the mouth. With her tongue," George said viciously. "So don't go thinking that you've found the great love of your life. Not when she prances into our shop wearing another man's shirt, snogging you after she's snogged me."

"I can't believe she just jumped on top of you and started making out with you," Fred hollered. "You took advantage of her!"

"How dare you! I didn't throw her to the ground and ravish her!"

"But you knew I liked her! She was mine first!"

"Hey, I kissed her before you did!"

"Oh, so you kissed her after all?"

George slammed his fist against the wall. "That's not what I meant! We kissed each other."

"So what, then? A beautiful girl kisses you and you decide that no one else can have her?"

"You want a girl who snogs all of Hogsmeade?" George demanded, his cheeks flushed.

Fred flushed too. "I want her! Fuck you, George- you know that. Why would you do this? Why would you try to take her away from me? You always do this! I couldn't have anything to myself, could I?"

"What the hell does that mean?"

Fred glared at his twin. He'd never felt quite so murderous upon looking at his own reflection before. "You're three and a half minutes older and you always think that means you get whatever you want. You don't get to have her by default!"

"Oh, you're so put upon! I'm trying to help you here!"

"By snogging the girl I like?"

"By trying to tell you that she isn't sitting up in Gryffindor Tower dreaming about you!"

"Maybe she would have done had you not gone and tried to gnaw her face off!"

"Fuck, Fred, aren't you paying attention to a word I say?"

But Fred couldn't stand here and listen to this. "Accio trunk!"

"What the hell are you doing?"

Fred ignored his brother, his anger bubbling like one of Snape's miserable potions. "Pack!" he commanded, and his items flew into the open trunk, assembling themselves messily. He slammed the lid and clicked the latches shut.

"Fred!" George shouted.

"I'm going to the shop. Don't follow me." Fred stomped out of the room without a backward glance, seething, his trunk floating sedately behind him. George was making it up. He had to be. He was a jealous, possessive prick and he couldn't stand that Fred had finally found someone who could make him happy.

That had to be the case. Because if Hermione had really kissed them both, Fred had no idea what he would do.